Think Philanthropically

We often focus on individual acts when we think about philanthropy. Financial generosity can be a very personal thing. The same is true of volunteering. As individuals we donate our time and energy in support of causes we care about. This column exists to highlight the importance of philanthropy and the contribution it makes in the community.

“There is something very powerful that happens when a company identifies a cause and gets involved in supporting efforts that support the cause.”

There is another way that philanthropic activity can unfold, and it might be even more powerful. There is something very powerful that happens when a company identifies a cause and gets involved in supporting efforts that support the cause. Most people will have observed major corporations that promote key causes like access to sports for disadvantaged youth, animal welfare, or cancer research. However, small and medium sized businesses can also involve employees in supporting charitable activities.

Here are a few ideas that might be helpful for the leaders of organizations or businesses who are considering options for engaging their team in supporting a community cause.

• Involve your employees in a selection process that identifies a few community organizations that you will actively support. It is a good idea to have more than one cause, but it is wise to avoid having too many options. Three or four organizations is usually the right number. It is helpful if the organizations selected are local and align reasonably well with your corporate values.

• Actively work with the selected organizations to understand their needs and determine the best way to support them. Non-profit community service organizations all have different requirements and one size does not fit all.

• Proactively promote flexible employee volunteer days (or half-days). This can include periods of time during regular work hours when groups from your organization can be scheduled to serve as volunteers in the selected organizations. This should be a regular thing – not just once a year. A particularly effective system is to plan a volunteer activity every few months where a few employees sign up to participate.

• Set up a donation matching system whereby employees who contribute financially to the identified causes will trigger a matching company donation. A number of conditions and parameters can be established that will encourage involvement. It is often better to set up this kind of financial campaign after people in your organization have become acquainted with the cause or have had the experience of volunteering.

• Make use of internal newsletters and your organization’s social media posts to highlight activities, show photos of events, underline the purpose of the effort, and promote success stories.

“When a for-profit organization promotes volunteering and provides consistent, active support for community causes there is a measurably higher level of employee engagement.”

When employees in an organization get involved in supporting a community-oriented cause it tends to generate an exponential benefit for the cause. But that isn’t the only benefit. Studies that have been undertaken by Deloitte, Harvard and the London School of Economics have demonstrated that when a for-profit organization promotes volunteering and provides consistent, active support for community causes there is a measurably higher level of employee engagement. Employees tend to develop a sense of pride about their workplace. A greater level of engagement assists in employee retention, which lowers the costs associated with turnover.  Additionally, consumers are increasingly attracted to the products and services of companies that demonstrate active involvement in the community.

Sam Watts serves as the CEO of Welcome Hall Mission  www.welcomehallmission.com  He serves on several non-profit boards and is an appointed member of the National Housing Council of Canada.  He is the author of Good Work…Done Better www.goodworkdonebetter.com